Remember
by SilverWing108
Summary: Naruto dies, and this is how Sasuke reacts. Contains character death. Oneshot.


**Well, I was in an angst mood and decided to write this. Hope you like it! :)  
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He doesn't register anything. Not the pouring rain, drenching him more and more by the second; not the pathetic attempts of comfort from people, who didn't understand, wouldn't ever. He doesn't register the friendly pats on his back; he doesn't register the pitying glances or the fearful stares. He doesn't register anything, other than the body of his lover lying motionless on the cold, hard stone ground, lying in a pool of his own blood, wearing clothing stained with red, and chest never once rising or falling. For those few minutes, he didn't register anything, other than the fact that Naruto was dead. And he knew, he was going to have countless sleepless nights, many nightmares of this day, because of the scene before him, because he didn't, he couldn't, do anything to help, because he couldn't prevent it, because he let Naruto die, because he lost the love of his life, his world. He knew that his dreams would forever be plagued by the dull, cerulean orbs staring blankly, straight through him that lost their shine that made them so beautiful, that he once loved so much.

He stumbles forward with dread, legs unwilling but forced to move forward, bit by bit, towards the body lying motionless on the ground. He doesn't want to admit to the fact that Naruto was dead. He wants to believe that this was just a bad dream, perhaps an illusion, a bluff, and that he shouldn't fall for the trick. But the cold, hard bitter truth, reality, was right there in front of him, waiting for him.

The crowd clears a path for him as he drags himself forward. As he got closer, he chokes back a sob. What bit left of his dignity wouldn't let him shed a tear in front of anyone other than Naruto. But what bit left of his dignity vanishes as he falls to his knees, onto the ground right beside the body of his dead lover. There he was; there it was. His confirmation.

No matter how much he wants to deny it, the truth was right before him. He couldn't deny the dead body in front of him, the warmth slowly seeping out of it, skin nowhere near the usual tan, paling, the light in cerulean orbs dimmed, the blood on those cheeks, hands, clothes, everywhere, hair and body covered in mud, dirt, grime, and blood. He couldn't deny that what was there right in front of him, was real, the whole bitter and cold truth of reality. The rain continues pouring, diluting the blood, washing away traces of his brutal murder. The coppery stench in the air thins out a little as the rain mixes with blood, and washes away.

Drops of water streams freely down his face, and he doesn't know if it was the rain, or his tears. But he admits, he couldn't bring himself to care. All he knows was that he feels numb, empty, lonely, despair, grief, rage, fear. A variety of emotions of such intensities that it would shock everyone who knew him, for he wasn't known to possess emotions to such high degrees, if any at all. But he, himself, isn't surprised; after all, it's for Naruto.

He brings forward a trembling hand, tracing the contours of the dead man's face, the whisker marks on cheeks, his Nose Bridge, eyelids, chin, and forehead.

He bends slightly over the body. He feels water drops rolling off his hair, onto Naruto's face. He moves forward a hand, places it on Naruto's forehead. He stares into dulled orbs, his own eyes swirling with emotion, of which most prominent was grief, love, and regret. He moves his palm downwards, until it reaches his nose, covering Naruto's eyes. As he dips in for one last kiss. He presses his lips lightly onto the pale ones of Naruto's, and then pulls away altogether. Cerulean eyes, which shine was lost, would henceforth never see the world again.

He stays kneeling pathetically beside the dead body, staring blankly at nothing. His eyes started to blur, even more so than before, breathing grows harsher, shorter, and his body starts trembling. He chokes out a sob, and his whole being shakes from despair. His hands clutches at the cloth at his chest, right above where his heart was, as if trying to stop the pain. As the fact starts to register in his brain, he screams. He screams in pure agony, in regret, in grief, in guilt, in anger at himself, with a broken heart, with emptiness, with loneliness. He screams again and again, sobs, sniffs, coughs, hacks, pants.

He's been reduced to this, pathetically wailing after the loss of his most precious. Because he knows-he would never be able to see that smile again, especially not directed at him. He would never be able to gaze into cerulean orbs and see all the different emotions swirling in them. He would never be able to smell that fragrance that belongs exclusively to him, whether be it after a shower or after a workout. He would never be able to feel that warmth spreading from his heart. He would never be able to hear that voice say his name ever again, whisper sweet nothings, shout words of challenge, his laugh, or even hear his voice at all. He would never be able to feel that intense happiness and contentedness when they just cuddle, as if nothing else in the world mattered besides the man in his arms. He would never be able to feel that excitement, anticipation, worry, anger, or anything other than this emptiness and loneliness that has now taken residence within his heart, not after the only one who was ever able to get a rise out of him, or any reaction at all, was dead. He knows that he would never feel complete again, never feel content again, never happy, and a particular thought swirls through his mind for a moment before settling at the back of his brain, to be later brought up again. 'Was life even worth living anymore?'

The rest of the shinobi stand helplessly and awkwardly at the sidelines, not having the heart to interrupt the grieving of one Sasuke Uchiha. They used to hate the arrogant Uchiha, always looking down on others, rude, smug. But as they lay witness to the scene of a man, a man they thought to be rid of love or any positive emotions at all, grieving, suffering as if he'd rather be dead, suffering more than they had seen anyone suffer, they witness the scene of the man, the man they thought to be an epitome of perfection aside from his personality, without all his walls and layers of protection he'd built up, pride left forgotten, broken asunder from the death of one Uzumaki Naruto. And they realize, Sasuke Uchiha was just as imperfect as they were.

Their feelings for the Uchiha switches and morphs from betrayal, hate, spite, scorn, contempt, to pity, sympathy, sadness, helplessness. They want to help, but they know they can't. No one could. They couldn't deny the feelings the Uchiha harbours for their Hokage, not after hearing and witnessing those awful screams of pain, of suffering. They, in turn, one by one, start to cry too. They cry for themselves, for the village, for the loss of a hero, for the loss of a great friend, for the loss of a great leader. They cry for their loss, for the village's loss. They cry for the Uchiha, in sympathy, in pity, for his pain, his grief, his loneliness, for their pain, for their grief. They cry for Naruto, for her death, because they would never see and experience that ball of sunshine that never failed to lighten up their day, his cheerfulness, his uncanny ability to make people happy. They cry, because they wouldn't see him again, but they would remember for as long as they lived, never forget. Because when someone is forgotten, then he never existed. No, they would remember him, because he lived, he helped, he experienced, he made a change, a difference, and he died with valiant honor, protecting what he considered precious until his very last moment.

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**THE END.**

**How was it? Leave a review if you liked/hated it, criticisms welcomed!**

**And if you actually read any of my other stories, I'm sorry for the lack of updates but I myself feel that my other storied badly needs to be rewritten.**


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